Caster



J. J. FRIEND.

CASTER.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 19. I920.

1,383,396 Y Patented July 5, 1921.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

GASTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed October 19, 1920. Serial No. 418,077.

To all whom it may canoe m;

Be it known that I, JACOB J. FRIEND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a specification, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawingsl This invention relates to certain improvements in casters, and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character especially designed and adapted for use in connection with articles of furniture or the like of pronounced weight.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved caster of this general character including a plurality of balls associated with a mounting therefor adapted to be detachably engaged with the body or main portion of the caster proper.

An additional obj ect'of the invention is to provide a novel and improved device of this general character embodying an assembly including a plurality of balls and a mounting therefor, said mounting being operatively engaged with a cup or bowl adapted to contain a suitable compound or solution repugnant to insect life. v The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved caster whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is aview partly in side elevation and partly in section illustrating a caster constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my'invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in bottom plan of the structure as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the-line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and

"Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating in detail a necting means balls and the caster.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, S denotes a shank or stem adapted to be lnserted in a conventional manner in a socket carried by an article of furniture or the like. In the present embodiment of my invention, this shank or stem S is tubular or hollow with its'outer end closed and with its opposite end portion defined by an outstandmg flange 1 adapted to be spot welded or otherwise secured to the bottom wall 2 of the cup or bowl C. The cup or bowl C, together with the stem or shank S, constitutes the main or body portion of the caster.

Disposed through the bottom wall 2 of the cup or bowl 0 adjacent the periphery thereof and preferably equidistantly spaced circumferentially of said bottom wall 2 are the headed members or rivets 3, the same being herein disclosed as three in number. Each of the members or rivets 3 depends below the bottom wall 2 of the cup or bowl C and is provided with the head 4:.

5 denotes a plate preferably circular in form and which has its marginal portion defined by an upstanding per or free edge of the flange 6 is defined by an inwardly directed annular flange 7 provided in its free marginal portion with the notches or recesses 8. The notches or recesses 8 are of such size to readily permit the passage of the heads 4 beyond the flange 7 when the plate 5 is to be operatively engaged with the bottom wall 2 of the cup or bowl C. After this initial operation, the plate 5 is slightly rotated, resulting in the head l of each of the members or shanks 3 passing be low or underlying the flange 7, whereby the plate 5 is effectively anchored to the cup or bowl 0. By this arrangement, it will be readily seen that the plate 5 may be conveniently applied or removed as the occasions of practice may require.

To one side of one of the recesses or notches 8, the free marginal portion of the flange 7 has pressed therefrom a slight pro- 7 portion'of the conbetween the mounting for the bowl or body portion of the tuberance or bulge 9 beyond which the head 4 of, the adjacentmember or rivet 3 is adapted to be forced. By this means, it will be readily understood that the protuberance or pwardly from said cup or bowl and part'icu v larly during the periods when the furniture or the like to which the caster. is applied is :being'moved from one location'to another.

; From the foregoing description it is i thought, to be obvious that alcaster con-1.

. V structed in accordance with-my invention is particularly. well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and 'facility with which bulge 9 provides'an effectiyemeans to prevent retrograde rotation of the plate and thereby serves to eliminate the possibllityof said plate 5 becoming 1 accidentally disene V gaged from the cup or bowl 0. w

therefrom. This second protuberance. or

bulge serves to limit the extent of initial rotation of the plate 5' when the same -1S operatively engaged with the cup or bowl G and is ofparticular advantage in preventing such continued movement when the casteris in applied position so that by the use of this second protuberance or bulge 9 in connection with 'the first named protuber "ance or bulge 8, the plate 5 is positively maintained against accidental displacement from working position.

The-plate 5 isprovided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 10 preferably three in number and through each ofwhich partially extends from above a ball Bof glass' or other suitable material and which isadapted to have contact with a floor or-othersup'porting surface. lfheplate .5between each :pair of adj acentopenings 1O "isialsojprovided with smaller openings 11 through which dirt or: other foreign matter accumulating within the housing aifo'rded' by the plate oandits flange 6 may readily as j escaped r i i It isalso. tobe particularlyiioted in Fig; f4 thatIone side portion of the wall defining [a notch 8 has its under surfacerounded, .as at'12, to facilitate the requisite passage of the head ofrthe member or rivet ii -along:

' videdwitha flange disposed toward the bo'dy j the-"adjacent portion-ofthe flange 7. A" denotes an" annular member removably engaged within the upper portion of the 1 cup 'or bowl C and' this member embodies 1 aninwardly and downwardly curvedplate" V '45;

1 4i overlying the peripheral marginal 'por-,

tion of the cup orbowl C. Theouter mar.-

. 50. I with so that the member. A is effectively maintained in appliedposit'ion. 1 lhis an ginal portion of the plate 14 is provided with an-inwardlydirected flange 15which snugly engages within the top portion of the cup,

or bowl C and has. frictional contactltherenular member A serves to prevent' splash;

"ing of the poisonous. compound or solution arranged within thecu-p' or. bowl 0 outsusceptible of some change and modifica" tion without departing ;from the principles 7 and spirit thereof and for this reason I .do

not; wish to be understood as limiting my self to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts'herein shown'in carrying out my invention in practice "exf cept as hereinafter claimed. 7 Iclaim:

1. A caster comprising abody member, a

plate underlying the body member and pro- V vided with a flange disposed toward the,

body member, coacting. means carried by the flange and. body member whereby the SMHB'HIZLY be detachably engagedv one with the other, and a .ball partially disposed through the'pl'ate. Y 3

2; A caster comprising a body'member, a.

plate underlying the body member, coaoting means carried by the plate and body.

member whereby" the same may" bed'etach ably engaged one with the' otherupon relative rotationof saidbodymember and plate;

andi a ball,partiallydisposed through the plate.

3. A'f. caster comprising a bodyiniember, a 7 plate underlying the body member, coact .ing means carried by the plateand-body member whereby :the same may "be. detach-V ably engaged one withthe other upon relative rotation of said body-.inember and plate, 5 V :and ball partially "disposed i throughf the plate, sald body and plate being provided with fcoacting means f a y. holding the same againstr l t romtioni e r 7 4:. A caster comprising 1 a body. member, a

plate underly-ingthe body member and promember, coactingmeans carriedby thefiange and body member whereby' the same may be detachably engaged one with theother, andalball partially disposed; through the plate,

saidiiian'ge of the plate being. provided with meansto hold the same; aga nst "accidental disengagement from the body member.

member, headed .membe'rsLdependingi;from

the bodym'ember, the free-.marginalportion- V of the flange of thejpla-te being provided with an inwardly directed flange 7 having notches through which the-headed members are adapted to "extend-said headed memu poi-iil partial".rotationoff theplate, and a ballpartially extending throughthe plate; x

'1'20 ;hers underly ng ;thei seconds named flange 1 caster comprising a bod member a y, 5

plate underlying said'bodymember f d vided with a;flan ge clispose l'.thr gh th V bodyl'm nber, headed. member s' 'depending V if om eiMdy m b r, h i fe rg nal portion of the flange of the plate being provided with an inwardly directed flange having notches through which the headed members are adapted to extend, said headed members underlying the second named flange upon partial rotation of the plate, a ball partially extending through the plate, and

means carried by the second named flange and coacting with certain of the headed members for limiting the rotary movement 10 of the plate.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JACOB J. FRIEND. 

